Fire breaks out at Disney's Epcot park in Florida as thick black smoke sparks huge evacuation

A fire broke out at Disney's Epcot theme park in Orlando, Florida sparking a huge evacuation of the area.

The blaze that began in Epcot’s France Pavilion sent thick black smoke into the air.

A spokesperson for Disney said the fire started in a backstage area at the pavilion and was quickly put out.

There were claims on social media a walk-in cooler sparked the fire. No injuries have been reported.

The attraction has about 32,876 guests per day. EPCOT, which stands for "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow," was originally envisioned by Walt Disney as a utopian city, where the future of technology and community living could be explored and perfected.

While that grand vision has evolved, the spirit of innovation remains the heart of EPCOT. The park is divided into two main sections: Future World and World Showcase.

EPCOT has experienced a few incidents involving fire, although they were generally contained quickly and did not cause significant damage. One of the more notable events occurred during the early years of the park's existence.

On the night of EPCOT's opening in 1982, a fire broke out in the Spaceship Earth attraction's set, which involved a small electrical fire. This incident occurred during the very first day of the park’s operation, but it was contained without any major issues. The ride had to be shut down briefly, but the fire did not cause significant damage and did not affect the overall operation of the park.

There was also a fire in the Morocco Pavilion at EPCOT in the 1990s, which started from a cooking accident in one of the pavilions' restaurants. The fire was quickly extinguished, and there were no major injuries. The pavilion was closed for a short period to address the issue and ensure it was safe for guests.